What I've always found strange is that non-venomous snakes are so much more eager to strike and bite you than venomous (cottonmouths excepted, they're pretty aggressive) ones are. I've been bitten by all kinds of round eyed snakes from green snakes, garters, spotted kings, spread adders, black chicken, blue racers, common water snakes, etc...

Copperheads and rattlers are just really reluctant to strike in my experience.

You remind me of that blonde headed young fella named Willie on Swamp People that catches snakes sometimes to supplement his income. He said on one show that in catching snakes your going to get bit everytime. By the end of the night after catching quite a few he was getting pretty sick, only catching non-venomous snakes but after having been bitten so many times they had made him pretty woozy and vomited. My Dad taught my two brothers and I how to catch and handle snakes from an early age, we still do, I don't fool with rattlers anymore since I've married, but rattlers and copperheads are easy snakes to handle, the worst snake to me to deal with is a Cottonmouth, I don't kill anything for spite, but if there is anything needing killing that will gladly try and kill you just for the heck of it, it's a CottonMouth, they will actually sneak from a good distance to get close enough to bite you. An 18 1/2" 20 gauge works well in dispatching them though when they get to close.

In other words, why are you getting bit so much? And why do you milk them? Are you using the venom or what?

In other words, why are you getting bit so much? And why do you milk them? Are you using the venom or what?

I haven't been bit much. Just sayin' that over the course of my life and all the snakes I've caught (and there's no way to even put a number on it) I've been bitten by at least one each of the round eyed snakes I listed. I don't take the same care catching non-venomous snakes that I do the pit vipers. I leave little to chance with the fanged friends.

The only venomous snake I ever got bit by was a cottonmouth while swimming and it was a dry bite.

I don't always milk the venom, but I guess the reason is my dad showed me how when I was young and it's kinda fascinating.

There shouldn't be any Western Diamondbacks in Arkansas. But this possibly could fall into the old argument 'there are no mountain lions in Arkansas'.

When you say The Ranch, are you talking about the Ranch in West LR on Hwy 10?

Believe you could be partially right about the Mountain Lion connection. Story I heard.... is that most of the Western Diamondbacks in Arkansas......are believed to have been killed & eaten by Mtn. Lions & Black Panthers. They believe the Lions/Panthers don't bother Cottonmouths......too aggressive.

I think you'll find some in South Arkansas and all the way over to East Texas. Yes, I know what the books say, but if you can point to one single difference between the climate, terrain, and habitat of South Arkansas or East Texas and that of Mississippi or Louisiana where all the books say there are Eastern Diamond Backs, then you've done something no one else can do.

And since the terrain, climate, and habitat are exactly the same and there are no natural barriers, it would be unreasonable to assume they are in one place and not in another identical place a few miles to the west.

I think you'll find some in South Arkansas and all the way over to East Texas. Yes, I know what the books say, but if you can point to one single difference between the climate, terrain, and habitat of South Arkansas or East Texas and that of Mississippi or Louisiana where all the books say there are Eastern Diamond Backs, then you've done something no one else can do.

And since the terrain, climate, and habitat are exactly the same and there are no natural barriers, it would be unreasonable to assume they are in one place and not in another identical place a few miles to the west.

Family lore has it that my great uncle killed one on Hatchie Coon Island squirrel hunting with my granddad back in the '50s that measured over 6 feet long. But there's no way to verify it.

Hawgon

Family lore has it that my great uncle killed one on Hatchie Coon Island squirrel hunting with my granddad back in the '50s that measured over 6 feet long. But there's no way to verify it.

I've never seen one.

My dad is outside on our place all day every year. He usually kills four or five rattlesnakes every summer and fall, sometimes more. He has killed both eastern and western diamond backs within a couple days of each other. You could see the difference. He usually kills at least a couple every year in the 5 1/2 to 6 foot range.

Believe you could be partially right about the Mountain Lion connection. Story I heard.... is that most of the Western Diamondbacks in Arkansas......are believed to have been killed & eaten by Mtn. Lions & Black Panthers. They believe the Lions/Panthers don't bother Cottonmouths......too aggressive.

I take pictures of Cottonmouths all the time and they never get aggressive with me and Im either laying in front of them or in my kayak really close. Ive had one show his mouth when I almost stepped on him but then he left. Check out some of my snake and Arkansas deer pics here. http://www.capturearkansas.com/photos/256825

LOL......yeah, them too. After most of the Diamondbacks were gone, the food supply ran out for the Mtn Lions & chupacabras. That's why they all but disappeared here in Arkansas...... but I think they are all making a comeback.....

Wonder how long it will be before a Chupacabra mates with a Mtn. Lion/ Black Panther?? Man, that would sure be interesting to see how the AGFC would regulate those dudes.

« Last Edit: August 16, 2011, 12:47:08 am by Rzbakfromwaybak »

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I take pictures of Cottonmouths all the time and they never get aggressive with me and Im either laying in front of them or in my kayak really close. Ive had one show his mouth when I almost stepped on him but then he left. Check out some of my snake and Arkansas deer pics here. http://www.capturearkansas.com/photos/256825

I take pictures of Cottonmouths all the time and they never get aggressive with me and Im either laying in front of them or in my kayak really close. Ive had one show his mouth when I almost stepped on him but then he left. Check out some of my snake and Arkansas deer pics here. http://www.capturearkansas.com/photos/256825

I take pictures of Cottonmouths all the time and they never get aggressive with me and Im either laying in front of them or in my kayak really close. Ive had one show his mouth when I almost stepped on him but then he left. Check out some of my snake and Arkansas deer pics here. http://www.capturearkansas.com/photos/256825

Don't try that when its hot.

People who haven't seen an aggressive cotton mouth just haven't run into the right snake yet.

My Boxer unfortunately killed a nice rat snake Monday afternoon right beside my garage. I have a 24' planter growing alongside my garage filled with monkeygrass and it gives them good coverage to get in, plus I live right up against the woods on 2 sides. I like to keep King snakes and ratsnakes around, I have my share of copperheads, they are going to be removed, and have had to remove a few big timber rattlers that would put the hurt on somebody. I have one that measured out at 6' 11 1/4", and had 17 rattles, another was 5' 8 3/4", with 13 rattles. They were nice skins and tasted great.

Mount Magazine has a healthy population of rattlesnakes. Have seen several up there after dark, including one that stretched across the road lane.

BTW, please remember that it is illegal to kill any snake in AR unless it is posing an immediate danger to you or property (like a pet).

I know places like Mt. Magazine seemingly have healthy populations of snakes, but they take a massive hit on the roads up there. Being that it's state park property, we have a collective responsibility to leave things well enough alone as much as possible. So if you're swerving your car, it better be to miss a snake rather than intentionally hit it.

BTW, please remember that it is illegal to kill any snake in AR unless it is posing an immediate danger to you or property (like a pet).

I know places like Mt. Magazine seemingly have healthy populations of snakes, but they take a massive hit on the roads up there. Being that it's state park property, we have a collective responsibility to leave things well enough alone as much as possible. So if you're swerving your car, it better be to miss a snake rather than intentionally hit it.

BTW, please remember that it is illegal to kill any snake in AR unless it is posing an immediate danger to you or property (like a pet).

I know places like Mt. Magazine seemingly have healthy populations of snakes, but they take a massive hit on the roads up there. Being that it's state park property, we have a collective responsibility to leave things well enough alone as much as possible. So if you're swerving your car, it better be to miss a snake rather than intentionally hit it.

I'm not putting me or my family that's in the car's life in sake, swerving on or off the road to miss a snake. If he's in the road then it's natures course. We're higher on the food chain. Circle of life or however you'd like to look at it. That's natural enough for me.

I'm not putting me or my family that's in the car's life in sake, swerving on or off the road to miss a snake. If he's in the road then it's natures course. We're higher on the food chain. Circle of life or however you'd like to look at it. That's natural enough for me.

I get downright giddy when carloads of people swerve off the road, fly off a cliff, and crash in a fiery inferno to avoid hitting wildlife. I absolutely love it. The more women and children in the car the better.

I get downright giddy when carloads of people swerve off the road, fly off a cliff, and crash in a fiery inferno to avoid hitting wildlife. I absolutely love it. The more women and children in the car the better.

Seriously. Speaking of missing something... Looks like you did.

I saw the smiley. Its not so much a response to you as the people who represent the thought you were talking about.

BTW, please remember that it is illegal to kill any snake in AR unless it is posing an immediate danger to you or property (like a pet).

I know places like Mt. Magazine seemingly have healthy populations of snakes, but they take a massive hit on the roads up there. Being that it's state park property, we have a collective responsibility to leave things well enough alone as much as possible. So if you're swerving your car, it better be to miss a snake rather than intentionally hit it.

Yes, I agree about swerving the car being dangerous, that is why I am very careful. I slowly pull over to the side of the road, make sure no other cars are coming, get out of the car.......& shoot them with my .357 with snake shot........I feel that I am saving the rattlesnakes from being run over by cars.....any snake I dispatch, was in my opinion...posing an immediate danger to someone, somehow......

Venomous snakes are the best! Absolutely beautiful!! I don't understand the irrational fear of snakes that the majority of people have, of course I was raised not to fear them and most are raised to hate them.